Shark Navigator Lift Away Reviews: Whether to Buy the Shark NV352 or Shark NV356E S2?
by Allen Sullivan

When it comes to upright vacuums, Shark is the brand that usually gets the first mention. The company is famous for its line-up of not just quality, but also affordable upright vacuum cleaners. These vacuums are the reason why Shark seems to always be on the top selling charts year after year.

At the moment, two of the most popular upright vacuums that Shark has to offer are the Shark Navigator Lift Away NV352 and NV356E S2.

Wondering which one is better? Today’s Shark Navigator Lift-Away vacuum reviews can help you out!

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Because affordability is one of the key criteria, we have to consider each of these Shark Lift Away vacuums’ pricing.

Out of the two vacuums, the Shark NV360 is the more affordable at $170.00. At the same time, you will need to pay an extra $30.00 if you want to be the owner of a Shark NV356E S2 ($200.00).

If you’re shopping on a budget, the NV360 may look like it’s the obvious choice. But if you keep on reading, you will find out why the extra $30.00 for the NV356E S2 could be worth it.

Shark NV360

Equipped with a 1,200-watt motor, this Shark Navigator Lift Away bagless upright vacuum cleaner can produce powerful suction. Most of the Shark Navigator Lift Away reviews from users all praised the vacuum for its surprising suction strength.

The high suction gives the vacuum commendable performance on bare floors. It will be able to pick up dust and dirt from your floors, as well as some light debris. However, the NV360 is found to have difficulties cleaning large debris and pet hair.

When transitioned to carpeting, the vacuum was found to be able to do a great job. On low-pile carpets, this Shark Navigator Lift Away site vacuum cleaner can pick up dust, debris of various sizes, as well as pet hair. You can expect the same great result on high-pile carpeting, though it has been reported that the NV360 occasionally has issues with clearing large debris from thick carpets.

Shark NV356E S2

Just like the NV360, the Shark Lift Away vacuum cleaner NV356E S2 has a 1,200-watt motor. This means suction of the NV356E S2 is about equal to its cheaper counterpart.

Normally, we would have considered this as a disadvantage. But considering the fact that most people are satisfied with the strong suction that the high-wattage motor provides, it is counted as a good thing on our list.

The suction allows the NV356E S2 to work on bare floors and carpeting alike.

Unlike the NV360 which only performs acceptably well on bare floors, the NV356E S2 does an excellent job in this category. It can suck up dust, dirt, debris (both small and large), and pet hair.

Therefore, if your house has mostly bare floors, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away bagless upright vacuum NV356E S2 will be the better choice out of the two.

Carpet performance is good, but isn’t exceptional. When compared with the NV360, it seems like both vacuums are equally good. Thus, if your house has area rugs or carpets, choose the NV360 instead as it offers more value.

Because both vacuums are fairly old, they don’t have the most up-to-date or aesthetically pleasing design.

From the very first look, it’s obvious that both the NV360 and the NV356E S2 possess very bulky bodies. Their bulkiness is one of the biggest complaints that consumers have about them. Both vacuums are said to be difficult to maneuver inside of cramped spaces. They also have a hard time fitting underneath furniture due to their large size.

Bulkiness isn’t the only flaw design-wise, though. There’s also the heavy weight.

The Shark Navigator Lift upright vacuum NV360 weighs 12.5 pounds. Its sibling — the NV356E S2 — is even heavier at 13.7 pounds.

Even though upright vacuum cleaners have a reputation for being heavy machines, the two Shark Lift Away vacuums are irritatingly weighty. People with back pain even reported feeling achy after using them.

As a result, if you have medical issues that can make using heavy vacuum cleaners difficult, you should steer clear from both vacuums. You should consider stick vacuums, instead, which are lighter and more maneuverable.

The Shark Navigator Lift Away upright vacuums NV360 and NV356E S2 are corded vacuums. The NV360 has a short 25-footpower cord, while the NV356E S2 has a 30-foot cord.

If you have a large home, the more expensive variant is undoubtedly the better model to pick.

Both the NV360 and the NV356E S2 are built around Shark’s unique Lift-Away canister. You can detach the canister from the vacuum and use it independently.

The Lift-Away canister is lighter (only about 7.5 pounds) and more mobile. It will make it easier for you to do certain jobs like cleaning the ceiling, the stairs, or vacuuming the car.

According to Shark’s manual, the Shark - Navigator Lift-Away bagless upright vacuum NV356E S2 has the bigger dust cup. It is capable of holding 2.2 dry quarts of dirt. The larger dust cup also explains why the NV356E S2 is heavier than the NV360 by a pound.

At the same time, the more affordable NV360 is only capable of holding 1.2 dry quarts.

The dust cups of both vacuums are easy to clean and empty. But just like most other upright vacuums, they aren’t exactly hygienic as they have a tendency to kick up dust. If you are sensitive to dust or allergic, you may need to be extra careful while emptying.

We are pleased with the filtering system of both vacuums. They are both equipped with HEPA filters and come with Shark’s Anti-Allergen Complete Seal technology. Together, they can effectively cleanse even the tiniest of dirt particles and harmful allergens from the air.

If you’re an allergy sufferer, either vacuum will be a fine choice.

 

The selection of accessories between the NV360 and the NV352E S2 are similar with three tools: the Pet Power Brush, dusting brush, and crevice tool.

While such a limited selection is understandable on the NV360, it is quite disappointing for the costlier NV352E S2.

Conclusion

If you have a fixed budget, the NV360 is going to be the better choice. It offers great performance (especially on carpeting) and is rated well in other aspects, too.

However, for $30.00 more, you can get the NV352E S2 which provides certain improvements over the cheaper variant. Performance on bare floors is better, with longer range (due to a longer power cord), and larger dust cup.

All in all, it depends on your budget and your personal preference.

We hope our Shark Navigator Lift-Away vacuum reviews have helped you with making a purchase decision!